2019 ACURA RDX: 7 DESIGN DETAILS TO NOTICE - LONG-TERM UPDATE 5

Did your car's design feel less special after months behind the wheel? Well, I can't say the same for our 2019 Acura RDX, a MotorTrend long-termer whose bold design still feels fresh despite the luxury crossover's accumulation of more than 12,000 miles. You start to notice the details when you live with a car, and I've developed many impressions on what's arguably the boldest RDX generation yet.

A CONFIDENT GAZE

I tend to anthropomorphize cars' front styling, and the RDX's headlights give off a confident look. It's not so much the seven LED lighting elements within each LED headlight (standard on every RDX, by the way) so much as the way those "eyes" work with the enormous grille. Not for everyone, that grille wears a huge badge and a starburst pattern similar to what we've seen on some Mercedes grilles; it reminds me of science-fiction movies when a spaceship blasts through space.

BLINKING PERFECTION

Although the taillights' turn signals aren't LED, the front units are more special. Some SUVs temporarily turn off their daytime running lights to activate the front turn signals, but that's not the case with the RDX. With the Acura, the strip of light appears at the top of the headlight and stretches across the entire length of the light-housing.

COULDN'T IT EXTEND A LITTLE FARTHER?

A black roof panel extending to the edge of the front windshield can be a slick look, but you won't find it on the Acura RDX. It's a little design trick used by cars all over the price spectrum—we even complimented Volkswagen on offering the look on the 2019 Jetta in a feature about good $25,000 cars for new grads. I like the functionality of the RDX's expansive panoramic moonroof—standard on every model—but I wouldn't mind seeing this look on a future RDX or next-gen MDX.

JUST LIKE A PRIUS!

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The RDX's taillights may not be full LEDs, but there's some slick detailing on the sides that gives it a more premium appeal, with light shining through what resembles horizontal bars of speckled metal (trust me, it looks good up close). After I drove a new, loaded Toyota Prius, I saw a similar detail on the corners of the headlights, and—I'll be honest—headlight/taillight dressing is a design accessory found across the industry. Even so, I like the effect it has on the RDX's rear profile.

A CONFIDENT GAZE

I tend to anthropomorphize cars' front styling, and the RDX's headlights give off a confident look. It's not so much the seven LED lighting elements within each LED headlight (standard on every RDX, by the way) so much as the way those "eyes" work with the enormous grille. Not for everyone, that grille wears a huge badge and a starburst pattern similar to what we've seen on some Mercedes grilles; it reminds me of science-fiction movies when a spaceship blasts through space.

BLINKING PERFECTION

Although the taillights' turn signals aren't LED, the front units are more special. Some SUVs temporarily turn off their daytime running lights to activate the front turn signals, but that's not the case with the RDX. With the Acura, the strip of light appears at the top of the headlight and stretches across the entire length of the light-housing.

COULDN'T IT EXTEND A LITTLE FARTHER?

A black roof panel extending to the edge of the front windshield can be a slick look, but you won't find it on the Acura RDX. It's a little design trick used by cars all over the price spectrum—we even complimented Volkswagen on offering the look on the 2019 Jetta in a feature about good $25,000 cars for new grads. I like the functionality of the RDX's expansive panoramic moonroof—standard on every model—but I wouldn't mind seeing this look on a future RDX or next-gen MDX.